The present invention relates to ball throwing machines, and more particularly, to ball throwing machines that allow for both variations in throwing distance, as well as in throwing direction.
Many athletes utilize ball throwing or projecting machines to practice their particular sport. For example, tennis ball throwing machines are extremely useful practice tools for tennis players. Typically, these machines are loaded with tennis balls and placed at an end of a tennis court which is opposite from the practicing player. The desired trajectory of the ball is usually set, either manually by the player or with the aid of a remote control. Balls are then lobbed or shot out of the machine towards the player, to allow practice shots to be hit. Such machines can project tennis balls or other types of balls (such as baseballs) by utilizing pneumatic power and/or rotating wheels to grasp the balls and project them outwardly.
As ball throwing machines have been utilized throughout the tennis industry for many years now, there have been improvements over time. Most notably, higher end tennis ball throwing machines have been provided with more ways to control to the trajectory of the projected tennis balls. For instance, certain higher end machines have been designed to allow for left and right, as well as up and down throwing variations. Typically, however, this is achieved through complicated electronic circuitry and/or complicated mechanical components.
Although these improved throwing direction variations are desirable for more realistic practice, the construction of these devices often makes them expensive to manufacture and therefore expensive for the consumer. In addition, providing electronic motor controls can be difficult to implement and accurately control. Therefore, there exists a need for a less expensive and more simplified alternative to providing increased control over directional varying ball throwing machines.